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A SunCam online continuing education course

Reliability in Facility Design



by

Daniel L. Spradling, P.E.

Reliability in Facility Design
A SunCam online continuing education course


www.SunCam.com
Copyright

2011 Daniel L. Spradling, P.E.


Page 2 of 23


Course Description:

The purpose of this training seminar is to familiarize the student with typical RELIABILITY
design criteria and their application to the facilities and buildings system industry. This seminar
provides high level orientation for the architect or engineer with ample references for deeper
study.

The learning objective is to provide the design professional instruction on RELIABILITY design
philosophies within facilities. This seminar has a healthy dose of core multi discipline
information to orient the designer toward thinking holistically about RELIABILITY.

No outside resource materials or prerequisite courses are required. This is not a formulistic
seminar and calculations are not necessary. The technical topic is presented in a narrative manner
and hopefully, in a thought provoking style. Although some facilities and building systems
knowledge is helpful, general definitions and examples are included.

As with any continuing education course, this document is a living document. Any and all
feedback, recommendations and correctional input is greatly appreciated. Updated photographs,
examples and commentary are beneficial to all.

Reliability in Facility Design
A SunCam online continuing education course


www.SunCam.com
Copyright

2011 Daniel L. Spradling, P.E.


Page 3 of 23

Course Outline:

Introduction
Definitions and Terms
RELIABILITY Design
RELIABILITY Classification
Class I
Class II
Class III
Facility Design Criteria
Design for Maintenance and Repair
Robust Design versus Over-Design
Design for Access and Handling
Summary and Review
Further Study and Reference
Examination

Reliability in Facility Design
A SunCam online continuing education course


www.SunCam.com
Copyright

2011 Daniel L. Spradling, P.E.


Page 4 of 23

Introduction:

The intent of this seminar is to augment the Federal, State, Regional, and Local Design
Guidelines for facilities with regard to code required minimum standards with thought provoking
ideas concerning RELIABILITY for building systems and their components.

A healthy discussion on definitions and terms common to reliability will be included. This
portion is to aid the diverse architectural and engineering disciplines associated with facilities
and building systems with the terminology of the RELIABILITY design criteria.

One term of high importance is RELIABILITY. RELIABILITY will be defined and its
classifications will be discussed. Examples of each classification will be included. The
RELIABILITY design criteria will then be transposed upon the facilitys design. Items such as
location, expansion, systems, and maintenance will be presented.

The next step is application of the RELIABILITY principles on to the facility design. Specific
topics such as listed below will be presented using a RELIABILITY CENTERED DESIGN
basis.
Design for Maintenance and Repair
Robust Design versus Over-Design
Design for Access and Handling

Finally, an examination on the course content will be included.

Reliability in Facility Design
A SunCam online continuing education course


www.SunCam.com
Copyright

2011 Daniel L. Spradling, P.E.


Page 5 of 23

Definitions:

RELIABILITY A measurement of the ability of a component to perform its designated
function without failure. RELIBILITY pertains to system components and the maintainability of
those components.

REDUNDANCY - simply having a backup. The backup can be a component or can also be a
plan. Basically, redundancy gives the facility the ability to operate when any single component
fails without harming the operational function of the facility. A prime example is a power
generator. Typically, the generator is a redundant power source to the local utility.

MARGIN - the difference between the capacity of a building system and the actual usage. An
elevator may have the capacity of 2500 pounds, but may only be used for typically lifting 1000
pounds. The margin is the difference.

HVAC acronym. HVAC is the acronym for Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning.

Reliability in Facility Design
A SunCam online continuing education course


www.SunCam.com
Copyright

2011 Daniel L. Spradling, P.E.


Page 6 of 23

RELIABILITY Design:

RELIABILITY design is a field that designs with the ability of a system or component to
perform its required functions. RELIABILITY is often measured with terms such as probability
of failure, mean time between failures, measure of availability, and maintainability.

RELIABILITY design for complex systems requires a more elaborate systems approach than
RELIABILITY for a simpler system. RELIABILITY designers should have broad skills and
knowledge of the processes within a facility. Most industries do not have specialized
RELIABILITY designers, and the RELIABILITY task becomes a part of the design
architect/engineers responsibility.

Basically, RELIABILITY design is mainly concerned with costs. It relates events that transform
into a particular level of revenue loss for the client. These costs can be due to loss of production,
loss of use, man-hours, etc. Any event that keeps a facility from properly operating is costing the
client and needs to be remediated. It is the function of the RELIABILITY designer to minimize
these events, and thus minimize the costs.

RELIABILITY design is an emerging discipline that refers to the process of including
RELIABILITY into products and systems. One of the most important design techniques is
redundancy or backup. This means that if one part of the system fails, there is an alternate path,
such as a backup system. The reason why this is the preferred choice is related to the fact that to
provide absolute RELIABILITY is often very costly. By creating redundancy, along with a high
level of control and the avoidance of common mode failures, any system can be made reasonably
reliable to the task.

Typically, RELIABILITY is classified into three main categories.
Class I High RELIABILITY
Class II Medium RELIABILITY
Class III Low RELIABILITY

Reliability in Facility Design
A SunCam online continuing education course


www.SunCam.com
Copyright

2011 Daniel L. Spradling, P.E.


Page 7 of 23

RELIABILITY Classification:

Generally, facilities have RELIABILITY classifications within the three following categories.

Class I (High RELIABILITY) Facilities that are necessary for the public health are in this
category. Facilities such as fire stations, police stations, and evacuation shelters are
in this category.

The photos below show typical fire stations. Since first responders have a need for
high RELIABILITY in their facilities, designers of such buildings should take extra
care to accommodate the operational needs.



Reliability in Facility Design
A SunCam online continuing education course


www.SunCam.com
Copyright

2011 Daniel L. Spradling, P.E.


Page 8 of 23

RELIABILITY Classification (continued):

Class II (Medium RELIABILITY) Facilities that have defined operating strategies such as
banks, office buildings and schools are in this category. These buildings typically
have laws and rules that require them to operate on certain days or hours. Banks are
controlled by Federal and State laws and rules. Schools have local school boards as
well as State regulators requiring certain operating conditions. These facilities are
no less important than the Class I buildings, but have semi-flexible operations.

The photos below show typical banks and school buildings.



Reliability in Facility Design
A SunCam online continuing education course


www.SunCam.com
Copyright

2011 Daniel L. Spradling, P.E.


Page 9 of 23

RELIABILITY Classification (continued):

Class III (Low RELIABILITY) Facilities not otherwise classified as Reliability Class I or II
are in this category. Typically, facilities with very flexible operating schedules are
in this category. Examples are seasonal leisure resorts, hotels, and retail facilities.
These facilities have very flexible operations and are typically not governed by laws
as much as the owners directions. These facilities are very important just like Class
I and II facilities and are the livelihood for millions of employees across many
continents.


The photo below shows a typical retail facility for a small business.



Reliability in Facility Design
A SunCam online continuing education course


www.SunCam.com
Copyright

2011 Daniel L. Spradling, P.E.


Page 10 of 23

Facility Design Criteria:

The facility location is of prime concern when considering the RELIABILITY of the building
systems. The potential for damage or interruption of operation due to flooding should be
considered.

Flood levels for ten (10) years, twenty-five (25) years and one hundred (100) years should be
considered. Typically, the facility should remain operational DURING a 10 year or a 25 year
flood event. Additionally, good design practice warrants that the facility be operational AFTER
a 100 year flood event.

The location selection is a primary factor in RELIABILITY.

The photo below demonstrates a facility that has been flooded. It is obvious that this facility is
not operational and probably will require heavy maintenance before being operational. Note that
if the facility had been located across the road, there may have been higher RELIABILITY.


Reliability in Facility Design
A SunCam online continuing education course


www.SunCam.com
Copyright

2011 Daniel L. Spradling, P.E.


Page 11 of 23

Design for Maintenance and Repair:

Every vital component (a component may include elevators, air handlers, pumps, controllers,
etc.) in the facility should be designed to enable repair or replacement without interruptions in
facility operations. Minimizing the interruptions is a very good practice and the intent is to
provide a means for maintaining the components without interruptions. To comply with these
criteria, it is typical for facilities to operate under a RELIABILITY CENTERED
MAINTENANCE program developed through a RELIABILITY CENTERED DESIGN
program.

Maintenance was created when mankind first wore animal hide for protection from the weather
and injury and used tools to do work. Since civilization started, the problems of poor
RELIABILITY have been with us. The hides we wore aged and perished and the tools we used
blunted and broke. Along with the benefits of civilization, we also took on the obligation of its
upkeep. Our ancestors determined which hides and tools were the most useful and centered their
hunting and gathering around these commodities. This was the start of RELIABILITY
CENTERED DESIGN.

Maintenance and RELIABILITY protect us. Safety, defense, risk reduction, and quality are
benefits we need from maintenance and RELIABILITY. Our ancestors wanted those benefits too
and labored to get them. They learned what was needed to reduce maintenance and
RELIABILITY problems and passed the fundamental understandings from generation to
generation in wise words.

Across years of experience and experimentation, sound and valuable advice on the best
maintenance and RELIABILITY practices was passed to us from our forbearers and ancestors.
Their advice is priceless and ageless. It is wisdom spoken with the lovingly hope that listeners
will use the learning to improve their life and position. Below are explanations of five of the
most important sayings our forbearers told us about having RELIABILITY and maintenance
success. Designing with these criteria are key to facility RELIABILITY.


Reliability in Facility Design
A SunCam online continuing education course


www.SunCam.com
Copyright

2011 Daniel L. Spradling, P.E.


Page 12 of 23

Design for Maintenance and Repair (contd):

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

This RELIABILITY insight is one of the greatest health and wellness advices of all time. The
wisdom it contains is not about the fitness benefits of eating apples. The understanding shrewdly
conveyed in the saying is of the great worth of prevention rather than cure. Our forefathers tell us
that the wise person adopts those actions and behaviors that extend their health and well-being
and so prevents future illness and loss. This is very important in RELIABILITY centered design.

When this phrase was coined, a visit to the doctor could mean your death. By the time you had
deteriorated to the point a doctor was needed your chances of living had diminished greatly. It is
a warning that maintaining good health is a life and death matter. It is smart maintenance.
In our world and time we know this saying as proactive maintenance and design. Many people
think that it is a new way. It has always been the right way. Somehow we forgot what had been
known for centuries. Do not begrudge the effort and requirements needed to design and keep
your facility in the condition to live a long and healthy life. With healthy design practices you
can find great business success; without reliable design practices certain business failure
eventually awaits.

One of the key items that have been found to aid in the an apple a day keeps the doctor away
design strategies is to specify warranty periods and maintenance periods in the original building
construction documents. In fact, recent trends have most equipment vendors offering up to five
year warranties at no extra cost. Fluorescent lighting is a prime example. Currently if you mate
most manufacturers ballast and lamps, a five year warranty is automatic. Variable frequency
drives and air handlers are another mated example with extended warranty periods.


Reliability in Facility Design
A SunCam online continuing education course


www.SunCam.com
Copyright

2011 Daniel L. Spradling, P.E.


Page 13 of 23

Design for Maintenance and Repair (contd):

A stitch in time saves nine.

This is maintenance advice passed down from countless tailors to their apprentices. The message
in the words has nothing to do with stitching and repairing clothes. It is a warning that a budding
problem left unresolved grows into a disaster that sacrifices time and money. Immediate action
taken to correct a problem when it starts prevents great waste and loss. In our world and time we
call this predictive design and maintenance, and condition monitoring. We look for the earliest
evidence of a failure starting and act to prevent it becoming a breakdown. The sayings
remarkable value was rediscovered by the aerospace/aviation industry in the 1980s and termed
RELIABILITY centered maintenance.

This is directly related to the design of Building Automation Systems and Building Information
Modeling. The design of extensive condition monitoring is a critical portion of the predictive
design and maintenance of todays smart facilities. Using real world feedback on systems such
as HVAC into Building Information Modeling simulations can greatly aid in determining duty
cycles of equipment and life cycle cost analysis.

Most major equipment manufacturers have application modules for Building Information
Modeling software packages such as Autodesks REVIT and Bentleys BIM. These sizing and
simulation routines can be very helpful in determining many of the major building systems
within your facility. In addition, simulation routines can also integrate with preventative
maintenance software packages such as IBMs MAXIMO asset management software. This
information can then identify and prompt for routine maintenancethus a stitch in time saves
nine.

At a recent site visit to a municipal building that was suffering from too negative of a building
HVAC pressure (the exterior doors were extremely hard to open), it was discovered that this
axiom was evidently avoided. Somehow, in an effort to fix a leaky flat roof, a designer opted for
a standing seam metal roof. This roof was installed over the existing roof-top HVAC units. Not
only did this cut off the outside air supply (thus causing the negative pressure issue), but the roof
used the frames of the HVAC units as structural support. The redesign effort to clean up the
code violations and the unfortunate situation was extremely costly.



Reliability in Facility Design
A SunCam online continuing education course


www.SunCam.com
Copyright

2011 Daniel L. Spradling, P.E.


Page 14 of 23

Design for Maintenance and Repair (contd):

When all you have is a hammer, everything begins to look like a nail.

There is a powerful warning in this saying about the dangers of ignorance and stymied education.
If we know too little, we risk misunderstanding the truth. If we know too little, we limit our
range of decisions and solutions. If we know only a few things we cannot be successful in those
situations where those few things no longer apply. Our loving ancestors must have made many
mistakes and learned this truth at great cost to them to have arrived at advice so profound and
wise to give us. They clearly put high value on learning and understanding. They knew that
ignorance and mistaken beliefs could lead to trouble.

Today the message is still relevant to us in industry. Perhaps it is more important than ever
before. Our future is one of greater complexity. We drive technology to create ever more
complex machines and systems. In an effort to build a sustainable civilization we add machines
with intricate functions to our world. These technologies and machines need people with a deep
knowledge and understanding of what to do and the skills to do it successfully. Smart buildings
are perfect examples.

In your operation, you need people that can use more than a hammer to look after the design of
the facility. What unimaginable trouble we would have if architects, engineers, maintainers, and
operators only know how to use a hammer and they were limited to only hammers in their
toolkits. To be successful you need people with an array of different tools in their toolboxes and
who can use each masterfully. Those toolboxes need to be full of clean, in-perfect-condition,
well-practiced and properly-handled tools. Such skilled people with toolkits will solve problems
and not create them.

A prime example was a recent project where during a design review meeting, the owner
requested the removal of all variable speed drives from the design documents. This startled me
and brought a surprised Why? The owners response was that her facility maintenance staff
was not capable of the intense programming and maintenance of high technology equipment.
Therefore, she wanted to dumb-down the building technology to match the staffs education
level.

Improving education, knowledge and skills is more than a design success strategy; it is a life
success strategy. Ignorance and the bravado it breeds are terribly expensive, wasteful, and a
RELIABILITY killer.

Reliability in Facility Design
A SunCam online continuing education course


www.SunCam.com
Copyright

2011 Daniel L. Spradling, P.E.


Page 15 of 23

Design for Maintenance and Repair (contd):

Measure twice; cut once. The Carpenters Creed

The carpenters of the past knew a thing or two about doing great work. I can only guess once a
profession has been around for ten thousand years all the good secrets get discovered. The
Carpenters Creed measure twice; cut once is not about cutting wood. It is about delivering
quality workmanship through the use of failure preventing quality control. The master carpenters
of the past have honored us with this priceless advice to guide us in the right ways. They say to
proof-check our actions before doing them. They advise us that if you want to be sure that what
you do will go right then thoroughly check it before you do it. An example will help you
understand their success secret.

Taken literally the saying means that first you measure a required distance from a datum and put
a mark. Then you check the mark is in the right place by repeating the measurement. The human
error rate in misreading a ruler or tape measure is about 1 in 200 opportunities. If you measured
once and marked the wood it would be in the wrong spot on average 1 in 200 times. If you were
the carpenter and cut the wood before you checked the position of the mark, you have a 1 in 200
chance that the cut is in the wrong place. A carpenter that did 40 to 50 cuts a day and only
measured once before cutting the wood would scrap a job every week. Along with the wood they
waste they also throw-out all the prior time, money and efforts put into it by others. Such a
wasteful and uncaring carpenter would be of little use to an employer and would be given few
career opportunities. With the added proof-check the second measurement the error rate falls to
1 in 5,000. Now work is scrapped only once in every 20 weeks. Those carpenters of the past knew a
thing or two about doing quality work.

Instilling the use of a tiered design review process is critical to design RELIABILITY. To
simply have a second set of eyes review the designs will decrease the error rate. It is a simple
proven fact.

Reliability in Facility Design
A SunCam online continuing education course


www.SunCam.com
Copyright

2011 Daniel L. Spradling, P.E.


Page 16 of 23

Design for Maintenance and Repair (contd):

As above, so below; as within, so without.

This is the oldest of the maintenance and RELIABILITY sayings, coming from ancient Egypt of
5,000 years ago. It is about the effects of our habits, inner values, attitudes and deep beliefs on
our behaviors and demeanor. As we are, so we do. Our mindset and spirit shows in our actions
and in our lack of actions. This is true of organizations as much as it is of people. We are
counseled by the ancient Egyptians that our perceptions, inner values and state of mind conjure
the outcomes that we experience. Your organizational knowledge, norms and culture make the
people in your company behave as they do. These behaviors become its performance and then its
results. From mind and heart to a result is a chain that binds our individual and company
destinies.

In the world of RELIABILITY design, the wrong understandings, values and attitudes show-up
as lost production, re-work, unsatisfied facility owners, and failed opportunities. Wrong mind
and wrong heart ingrain wrong actions into business systems, and thus repetitively producing
failures. In such organizations formal and informal leaders build business processes and set work
quality that can never deliver the performance wanted. If you want to understand why an facility
performs badly and its maintenance is costly listen to what the leaders say. What they think
becomes words. The words become decisions. The decisions become actions. And the people
and company must receive the fateful consequences.

RELIABILITY success starts in the minds and souls of the formal and informal leaders in an
organization. The right knowledge, thoughts and attitudes flow into the leaders decisions and
from there into their words. Good words become correct actions and behaviors that reap good
rewards. Wrong thoughts and incorrect behaviors can only reap wrong outcomes. Our ancient
Egyptian cousins warn us that the reflected outcome can only be what is already within. The
reason that a company does not have world-class maintenance and reliability performance is
because the internal values and beliefs of its people are not yet world-class. World-class is first a
mental journey to understanding. Our actions then follow our thoughts to world-class
performance. Only then are world-class results certain to appear.


Reliability in Facility Design
A SunCam online continuing education course


www.SunCam.com
Copyright

2011 Daniel L. Spradling, P.E.


Page 17 of 23

Design for Maintenance and Repair (contd):

You can work the saying backward and first change the required outside behavior so the inside
values change in response. It takes dedicated persistence and commitment to continue the change
process until there is nothing left of the old culture and norms. The ancient Egyptians tell us that
you can only change an organization when its leaders have the vision and heart to rebuild it in
the image that produces the required results. Basically, RELIABILITY has to start with everyone
(architect, engineer, owner, maintenance person, etc.) all working together to establish the
common goal.

Outcomes reflect the mind and spirit behind them. If you want a better future, first instill the
values and beliefs that create that future. In todays world of RELIABILITY, as it has been since
ancient times, seek and use the right knowledge and the right performance standards that will
bring sure success. Nothing is new in RELIABILITY, we have only to understand and use the
powerful wisdom of our ancestors.


Reliability in Facility Design
A SunCam online continuing education course


www.SunCam.com
Copyright

2011 Daniel L. Spradling, P.E.


Page 18 of 23

Robust Design versus Over-Design:

Robust Design means factoring RELIABILITY into the development of the design itself;
designing for a target RELIABILITY and thereby avoiding either costly over-design or
dangerous under-design in the first place. Such an approach eliminates a deterministic stack-up
of tolerances, worst-case scenarios, safety factors, and margins that have been traditional
approaches for treating uncertainties.

Overdesign is common and expensive. In large scale projects, each discipline (mechanical,
structural, electrical, etc.) communicates worst-case requirements to other disciplines rather than
attempting to couple the design analyses. This leads to designs that are heavier and more costly
than they need to be, and in some cases does not even result in a safer or more reliable design.
For example, it is common for power specialists to require that the nickel-hydrogen batteries for
an uninterruptible power system never exceed 15C. This creates a serious thermal control
challenge, requiring additional structural mass, and technology risk. In fact, nickel-hydrogen
batteries do not fail at 15C, they simply become less reliable and more likely to fail the longer
they operate at elevated temperatures. Occasional exposure temperatures up to as high as 30C
are tolerable but undesirable yet total avoidance of any temperature greater than 15C becomes
the task of the RELIABILITY designer. The designer might even resort to fancier and therefore
more risky thermal control options to achieve this requirement, resulting in a less reliable overall
design than if temperature excursions had been better tolerated in the battery design
requirements. Perhaps nickel-cadmium batteries that have a higher temperature rating, but lesser
power qualities, would have been a better choice for the project team.

Even within one discipline, overdesign exists due to stack-up of margins and worst-case
scenarios until the design case is unrealistic and will likely never occur. A worst-case (unlikely)
attitude is combined with end-of-life expected degradations, estimations of worst-case
dissipations, and predictions of worst-case performance, etc. Additional margin is then added to
cover uncertainties in modeling, environment, and component sizing. Only when meeting an
extreme stack-up of margins and uncertainties becomes impossible, does a renegotiation of
adequate margin begin, and such renegotiations are seldom based on any mathematical rigor or
true knowledge of the underlying risk. A recent conversation with a local utility company is
recalled where the utility company representative explained we generally provide the service at
50% of the connected load on industrial buildings such as this when coordinating the electrical
service to the building.



Reliability in Facility Design
A SunCam online continuing education course


www.SunCam.com
Copyright

2011 Daniel L. Spradling, P.E.


Page 19 of 23

Robust Design versus Over-Design (contd):

In the aerospace facility industry, which is heavily influenced by understandably cautious
military and governmental standards, such overdesign compensates for unknowns and
unforeseen problems. Success in such a design environment is a necessity, and cost is a
secondary consideration. In commercial facilities, on the other hand, cost is a primary
consideration. An overall facility reliability of 99% may be desired, but if significant savings
result from a reduced reliability of 98%, the latter option will be seriously considered.


Reliability in Facility Design
A SunCam online continuing education course


www.SunCam.com
Copyright

2011 Daniel L. Spradling, P.E.


Page 20 of 23

Designing Access and Handling:

Adequate access, handling and removal space should be provided around all components to
facilitate maintenance, removal and replacement. This criterion is applied to components either
inside a building or in an exterior environment. For components in interior spaces, adequate
access for lifting and removing a valve or pump should be planned in the building design. Either
portable or fixed lifting devices need to be planned such that heavy components may be handled.
The structure needs to be designed so that hoists, trolleys and cranes can be used to facilitate
maintenance. For exterior components, typically cooling towers and similar equipment, ample
access for maintenance vehicles and lay-down areas are required for normal disassembly and
removal. Typically, large equipment (such as trucks mounted with jib cranes) may be required.
Proper access planning is strongly recommended.

The objective is to provide the facility operators with a well designed building system which can
be easily be maintained in an orderly and expedient manner. The goal is to get the repair done as
quickly as possible and reduce the outage time. This is a characteristic of good RELIABILITY.
The photo below is an example of the typical equipment used in maintenance. Note the access
space for the maintenance crew.



Reliability in Facility Design
A SunCam online continuing education course


www.SunCam.com
Copyright

2011 Daniel L. Spradling, P.E.


Page 21 of 23



Summary and Review:

RELIABILITY A measurement of the ability of a component to perform its designated
function without failure. RELIABILITY pertains to system components and the maintainability
of those components.

RELIABILITY engineering is mainly concerned with minimizing downtime costs.

One of the most important RELIABILITY design techniques is redundancy.

There are three classifications of RELIABILITY.

Class I (High RELIABILITY) Facilities that are necessary for the public health are in this
category. Facilities such as fire stations, police stations, and evacuation shelters are
in this category.

Class II (Medium RELIABILITY) Facilities that have defined operating strategies such as
banks, office buildings and schools are in this category.

Class III (Low RELIABILITY) Facilities not otherwise classified as Reliability Class I or II.
Typically, facilities with flexible operating schedules are in this category. Examples
are seasonal leisure resorts, hotels, and retail facilities.

Location selection is a primary factor in RELIABILITY.

Every vital component in the facility should be designed to enable repair or replacement without
interruptions in facility operations.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away conveys the great worth of prevention rather than
reactive curing any illness.

A stitch in time saves nine is a warning that a budding problem left unresolved can grow into a
disaster that sacrifices time and money.


Reliability in Facility Design
A SunCam online continuing education course


www.SunCam.com
Copyright

2011 Daniel L. Spradling, P.E.


Page 22 of 23

Summary and Review (contd):

When all you have is a hammer, everything begins to look like a nail is a powerful warning
about the dangers of ignorance and stymied education.

The Carpenters Creed measure twice; cut once is not about cutting wood. It is about
delivering quality workmanship and the use of failure preventing quality control.

As above, so below; as within, so without is about the effects of our habits, inner values,
attitudes and deep beliefs on our behaviors and demeanor.

Nothing is new in RELIABILITY, we have only to understand and use the powerful wisdom of
our ancestors.

Robust Design means factoring RELIABILITY into the development of the design itself;
designing for a target RELIABILITY and thereby avoiding either costly over-design or
dangerous under-design in the first place.

Adequate access, handling and removal space should be provided around all components to
facilitate maintenance, removal and replacement. For components in interior spaces, adequate
access for lifting and removing a valve or pump should be planned in the building design.

Reliability in Facility Design
A SunCam online continuing education course


www.SunCam.com
Copyright

2011 Daniel L. Spradling, P.E.


Page 23 of 23

Further Study and Reference:

The seminar relies on multiple resources for information. The main white papers used are listed
below.
Ageless Maintenance and Reliability Success Secrets, Mike Sondalini, Lifetime
Reliability, J une 2009
Standards Program Procedures, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics,
October 2005
Reliability Engineering and Robust Design: New Methods for Thermal/Fluid
Engineering, Brent Cullimore, C&R Technologies, Inc., May 2000

Some North American Universities that offer courses in Reliability Engineering are listed. All of
these engineering programs offer reliability courses and some even offer advanced degrees.

University of Tennessee
University of Maryland
Concordia University

In addition, there are many conferences and industry training programs (such as this one)
available for RELIABILITY engineering. Several professional organizations exist for reliability
engineering including IEEE Reliability Society, the American Society for Quality and the amply
named Society for Reliability Engineers.

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